'''{{PAGENAME}}''' (CMB) radiation describes the [[electromagnetic wave]]s that propagate through our entire universe.
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'''Cosmic microwave background''' (CMB) radiation describes the [[electromagnetic wave]]s that propagate through our entire universe.
=="Scientific" explanation==
=="Scientific" explanation==
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==Characteristics==
==Characteristics==
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One interesting feature of the CMB is that it provides a rest frame against which one can measure the motion of galaxies and other astronomical objects. Since the cosmic microwave background is made of electromagnetic waves, a moving observer will observe a [[Doppler shift]] of the cosmic microwave background, whereas a stationary observer will not. Since the frequency of the cosmic microwave background is known (160.2 GHz <ref name="physorg">http://www.physorg.com/tags/cosmic+microwave+background/</ref>), the velocity of the observer can easily be calculated. Our very Earth sees a Doppler shift in the cosmic microwave background, a shift that must be subtracted from measurements of the CMB to obtain its true temperature distribution.
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One interesting feature of the CMB is that it provides a rest frame against which one can measure the motion of galaxies and other astronomical objects. Since the cosmic microwave background is made of electromagnetic waves, a moving observer will observe a [[Doppler shift]] of the cosmic microwave background, whereas a stationary observer will not. Since the frequency of the cosmic microwave background is known (160.2 GHz <ref name="physorg">http://www.physorg.com/tags/cosmic+microwave+background/</ref>), the velocity of the observer can easily be calculated. Our very Earth sees a Doppler shift in the cosmic microwave background, a shift that must be subtracted from measurements of the CMB to obtain its true temperature distribution.
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The thermal black-body spectrum of the cosmic microwave background is 2.725 K. <ref name="physorg"/>
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The thermal black-body spectrum of the cosmic microwave background is 2.725 K.<ref name="physorg"/>